According to the U.S. "Capitol Hill" on February 18, after the former Trump recently made remarks related to NATO, U.S. Republican Senator Lindsay Graham said that he supported Trump's statement, that is, to require NATO member countries to spend 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) every year, and proposed that if a country owes money, it can be "kicked out".
Screenshot of the Capitol Hill report.
Trump has reiterated his position on NATO in recent days, claiming that he had told a foreign leader during his tenure as a U.S. leader that if that country didn't contribute enough to NATO, then Russia could "do whatever they want." According to foreign media reports, at a recent election campaign, Trump said that if he wins the United States again, when those NATO members who have failed to invest enough in the field of defense face an attack by Russia, he will not only not let the United States protect these countries, but will even encourage Russia to attack them.
On February 18, local time, in an interview with the CBS television program, Graham said that he supports NATO member states to pay their "fair share". "I want a system where if you don't pay, you're kicked out......Trump is right to expect NATO members to fulfill their 2% obligations. He said.
U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Source: Visual China.
The senator added, "We need to make it a meaningful obligation." I'm a big fan of NATO, but there's still $70 billion to $80 billion (budget gap) left at the negotiating table. If you stay in NATO, pay 2%. ”
According to the report, Trump asked NATO members to make a greater contribution, mainly focused on getting these countries to spend 2% of their GDP on defense spending. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that at least half of NATO's 31 member states are sure that this requirement will be met in 2024. Graham said in an interview with CBS: "I think it's appropriate for every [NATO member] to fulfill the 2% obligation. ”
The Hill mentioned that Trump's recent statements about NATO have triggered a certain degree of ** within the Republican Party in the United States, with some Republican politicians refuting his remarks and others defending his remarks. Trump has been critical of NATO in the past and has often lashed out at the alliance during his time in office, citing what he believes some NATO members don't spend enough on their military.